Maui

Aloha and Welcome to the Magic Isles of Maui!

Maui is adored by its residents and admired by visitors around the world. From the majestic peak of Haleakala Crater caressing the sun, to the dramatic valleys of West Maui’s Mauna Kahalawai glittering rainbows. Its diverse natural beauty offers experiences for every taste, and its wide array of accommodations provide options for every budget.

Maui’s sister islands have their own distinct personalities. Molokai is the place where outdoor adventure meets old-time Hawaii, while Lanai has become an enticing haven for relaxation and rejuvenation.

We welcome our visitors with warm aloha. Come, let the islands of Maui weave their magic around you, and you’ll soon learn why it’s said that Maui no ka oi, Maui is the best.

Island Highlights

Watch Whales
From November through April, Maui welcomes the humpback whales, our largest seasonal visitors. Maui’s south and west coastlines provide abundant opportunities for watching this endangered species, and various operations offer excursions aboard both power and sail boats. Among the shoreline sites offering vantage points are Makena, Wailea, Kaanapali, Kapalua, and Lahaina. Lahaina is the largest marketplace for scrimshaw, the indigenous American art form developed by the whalers.

**********************************************************************Windsurf
Ho’okipa Beach is world famous among windsurfers, who have made the charming town of Pa’ia their very hip capital. The perfect waves and brisk onshore breezes are ideal for the fleets of neon-bright sails streaking across the waves. Spectators can watch from a convenient hillside lookout. Rentals and instruction are available around the island. Once a plantation town, Pa’ia is now awash with trendy boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and notable restaurants, as well as windsurfing shops.

Hike
Walk into a rainforest echoing with the songs of birds found nowhere else on the planet. Follow trails to waterfalls with plunge pools for swimming. Walk into valleys so deep they never see a sunrise or sunset. Hike into the dramatic lunar landscape of Haleakala crater. There are trails and nature walks for every level of skill-pick up the free Maui Recreational Map from Maui’s Department of Land & Natural Resources. The Nature Conservancy and park rangers at Haleakala National Park offer nature walks and guided hikes. Professional guides to other locales are available for hire and private operations with special permits can also take you to otherwise inaccessible spots such as Maunalei Arboretum in Kapalua, where sightings of maile, the poisonous earthstar fungus, and rare native honeycreepers are possible.

Bike
Few places are as committed to bikeways as Maui. It is possible to bicycle from the east end of the island, to the south side where the Wailea Resort is located, to Kapalua on the west end. Much of the ride is along spectacular shoreline road. Visitors can also cycle through the small towns of Upcountry to the beach at Pa’ia and elsewhere on the island.

Snorkel & Diving
Maui has some of the finest snorkel spots in Hawaii. It is an inexpensive pastime that is easy to learn and can be done by booking a cruise or finding one off one of Maui’s many beaches. There are two marine conservation areas, one at Honolua Bay on West Maui and the other at Molokini, a partially submerged volcanic crater off Maui’s south shoreline. The contours of the crater turn it into an aquarium without walls. Diving is also popular. Certification is available in PADI, NAUI, or NASDS. Boats at Lahaina and Ma’alaea offer a number of snorkel and dive excursions. The nearby award-winning Lanai Cathedrals is considered to be one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world, and there is also a sunken US submarine to explore. Glass bottom boats and a pleasure submarine open up the wonders to non-swimmers.

Golf
There are 16 courses on Maui. Most of them are championship courses designed by golf’s biggest legends and tended by the sport’s leading professional players. Maui hosts two prestigious golf tournaments annually and is also home to the Kapalua Golf Academy and Wailea Golf Academy.

Dine
Maui is Hawaii’s dining epicenter, with a restaurant for every taste. Maui’s creative environment has attracted enthusiastic chefs who make national headlines (and great cookbooks) using fresh local produce from Upcountry farmers. From lavish hotel dining rooms to lunch counters serving plate lunches and saimin (the ubiquitous noodle soup), Maui’s eateries are pleasing and diverse. The pride of the island, Hawaii Regional Cuisine, is served at many award-winning restaurants.

Sail
Sheltered by Lanai and Molokai, the breezy offshore waters of Maui are ideal for sailing. Try a sailboat charter, a speedy catamaran, a sailfish or a sunset cruise. Family-run picnic excursions cross the channel regularly to Lanai and can get you back in time for sunset at your Maui hotel.

Swim
There are more than 80 beaches on Maui and 120 miles of coastline. The beaches come in sands of gold, black, green, red and pure, shimmering white. And while you’re at it, grab a snorkel and mask and commune with turtles and butterflyfish. The waters of Kapalua and Makena are ideal snorkeling grounds, especially early in the morning. Many of the hotels rent snorkel gear, or you can rent it from dive and sports shops in Lahaina and Kihei.

Drive
Road warriors on the path to paradise can immerse themselves in the all-American romance with the road. Here is a journey that takes on another dimension: the Hana Highway has 54 bridges in 56 miles and winds along lava shores, through old plantation towns, past miles of beaches, and through towering forests. In West Maui, Ka’anapali and Kapalua are a bicyclist’s fantasy, with views in every direction and the ocean a stone’s throw away. Maui’s roads are well maintained and well marked, making driving a pleasure. Car rentals are often included in hotel or airline packages.